The Las Vegas Raiders are poised to select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday. There is hardly any suspense about that, as, for the first time in nearly two decades, the franchise doesn't have to react to other teams in the first round of the event.
Instead, the real mystery will be how general manager John Spytek navigates the rest of the board. While he did a great job of filling several holes in free agency, Las Vegas still has multiple needs to address in the draft, and building a team that can support Mendoza is the top priority.
One of the key area to improve is still the offensive line, where two of the starting spots will be up for grabs in training camp. An NFL draft analyst believes that the Raiders should target an offensive lineman early on Day 2 to help make Mendoza's transition to the NFL go as smoothly as possible.
NFL Draft Analyst shares how the Las Vegas Raiders should bolster Fernando Mendoza's offensive line
The Raiders are set to enter an exciting new era, as many believe the selection of Mendoza will represent a turning point for the franchise. The front office has shown that they are prioritizing his long-term development and attempting to make his life as easy as possible.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein recently suggested that one key way to do that would be Las Vegas targeting an offensive lineman with the 36th overall pick. Zierlein, a renowned draft analyst, had two intriguing names in mind.
"Hogs, bullies, and just bodyguards. That's what (the Raiders have) got to do. I mean, look, (Mendoza's) superpower is that he has great accuracy and great ball placement, but he's not the most elusive quarterback once there is treacherous terrain inside the pocket. So, what we've got to do is we're going to have to get a guard," Zierlein explained. "I think the left guard spot is ripe for a brand new player, and Keylan Rutledge is that bully. He's, maybe, the biggest bully on the block in the whole draft, from Georgia Tech. He is extremely physical, brings a real attitude, and if you're trying to change culture, one of the things you want to do is get somebody who sets a tone up front. Keylan Rutledge is a tone-setter, but so is this guy: Emmanuel Pregnon. He is the body mover at left guard for Oregon. Very powerful. He's a 24-year-old, so he's a veteran. He's physical. He's built exactly how he's going to be built, so you don't have to worry about that. That's the size he is. He is extremely strong. Pass pro is okay, so I want the pass pro to get a little bit better. But this also benefits Ashton Jeanty."
While there has been speculation that Jackson Powers-Johnson could return to left guard in Klint Kubiak's offense, adding either Rutledge or Pregnon would likely mean that he is locked in at right guard. Either way, the team would have a handful of promising young guards to call on.
Mel Kiper Jr. predicted that Rutledge, who told Just Blog Baby's Levi Dombro about his affinity for the Silver and Black at the Senior Bowl, would land with the Raiders in his latest mock draft. That said, neither player seemingly met with Las Vegas during the pre-draft process.
Of course, that doesn't mean that neither will be the choice at No. 36 overall. Wading through all the draft smoke is difficult to do. And while Caleb Rogers showed flashes of potential as a rookie last season, he did not have enough opportunities to stake his claim to a starting job.
Rogers is currently set to compete with Spencer Burford for the starting guard spot opposite Powers-Johnson. While the addition of either Rutledge or Pregnon would presumably block him from playing time, the development of Mendoza must be the very top priority for the Raiders' brass.
Ultimately, Las Vegas will only go as far as the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner takes them. If Spytek and Kubiak feel that adding another talent to the offensive line is the best way to get the most out of the young quarterback, that is the route the franchise must take.
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